>From Dr. Duffy:

After passing on the email about silver I sat back and
pondered the point for a short while. The following comments
are the results of my pondering.
1. I am 72 years old and have been involved in the business
of observing people since 1945 on an amateur basis and
since 1969 on a professional basis.
2. I have seen ONLY ONE argyric patient in all those years. It
was at the Cancer Control Seminar in California back in 1973[?].
[plus or minus a year]. Back then people were blaming the condition
on some form of anemia related to iron storage/function - I do not
recall at that time, anyone relating it to poisoning by silver or one
of its salts.
3. On the other hand, I have seen thousands of patients who have
taken silver for long periods of time.
4. The skin is replaced regularly. Most body cells do replace themselves
on a regular basis. That is the function of the stem cells of which we
hear so much as of late. The example usually given is the replacement
of the epithelial cells of the large bowel which replace themselves every
five days.
5. Based upon #4 above, one would assume that the skin would eventually
normalize as new skin is brought to the surface and old skin is shed.
 
After pondering the subject for awhile I then went to the books. My trusty
Merk Manual did not list Argyria nor silver poisoning, nor did my trusty and
huge 14th edition of Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine which seems
to have something about everything in it except Argyria. I looked under
poisonings and it was not there either. I will continue to look under other
headings such as Skin Diseases, Epidermis etc...............
But I will go to the internet first.........that's always the quickest way
to get
a fix on a subject these days. [grin]
I'll let you all know what I come up with.
DHD Sr